Pages

Thursday, September 19, 2013

b a c k   i n   t h e   s w i n g   o f   t h i n g s
{well, sort of}
 
 
I started off the month excited to back to work. My plan hit a snag when I found out I needed to have surgery on my hand and wear a cast for another month. 
 
The pain from the surgery was pretty bad and it has been slowing me down.
 
But I have a store full of beautiful pieces and I am now just replenishing what I sell every week which for the most part is doable.
{but....I haven't told you about the new Seattle storefront coming up. My entire next two weeks of painting will be dedicated to painting for that storefront}
 
 
I did finish this pretty buffet today.
 
 
 
 
It has a fancier profile than I normally go for but sometimes it is fun to do something different.
 



 
I will have the price and dimensions at the store Saturday.
 
 
linked up Miss Mustardseed


Monday, September 2, 2013

n e w   y e a r
 
 
This time of year always feels like new years to me. The kids go back to school and I dive head first back into my work.
 
It is always a time for me to reflect on my year. Do I want to grow a bigger business, do we want a bigger store, do I want to stay the same but add a different element to what I am doing?
 
This year was amazing. It surpassed my goals and even blew them away.
 
I have mini goals in my head but for now I want to relish in the year.
 
What I know for sure after this year.
 
Plan. I am not a leap before I look person. I plan. If you leap, someone has to catch you-every time. It can get you into financial trouble. As I grow I slowly invest in my company, pay myself more and I am able to afford to purchase even more amazing pieces. Would I love a 4000 square foot shop stocked with the best of the best priceless antiques? Yes, but I am not there yet. I always want to be self sufficient. I could walk away from my business today owing nothing. It doesn't mean I am not a dreamer, it means I know my capacity of what I can handle at this very moment. If my feet are firmly planted on the ground I can run, not fall.

I do not take on more projects than I can handle. I do not over promise.
 
Quality. Surround yourself with quality people that don't have their own agenda. I have totally done this in my life this year. I had spent a lot of time with being surprised by unauthentic people in the past. I feel so light now. 
 

Balance. Work-life balance. I am getting the hang of this! I have a pretty clean house most of the time, a wonderful place to paint and a store to bring them to. I can shut the studio and leave work for the day.
 
 
Dream. I am stuck on this. Seriously this year I met my financial goals, professional goals and I couldn't ask for a better group of ladies to share the shop with. I am inspired by their quality. Both as people and I am blown away by their work as painters.
 
 
Keep my head down. This really helps me focus. I try not to think about how someone else would do something or compare myself. I have to have faith in myself to create beauty. I turn the music on in my studio and paint. It is what I do.
 
Take ego out of the painting. Seriously. I have to work on this one a lot. Not because I think I am great but because in the past I have been taken advantage of. I get upset and ego gets in the way. Drop it and move on.
 
As I go into this next year I am going to do a lot more praying, a lot more gratitude, a lot more happiness.
 
I am excited to look back on this next year and see how MCC and Poppy have grown.